So, here’s a fun trivia fact before we get into this: when David Fincher was on his lengthy search to find the actress to play Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” Yo-Landi Vi$$er — of the South African rap duo Die Antwoord — was on his list. It was later reported that she wasn’t interested in the part or acting in general, but it would seem her mind has been changed on the matter, with the most unlikely of projects.
According to South African paper Die Burger, Die Antwoord will be playing themselves in the lead roles in Neill Blomkamp‘s upcoming sci-fi comedy “Chappie,” which is certainly an interesting turn of events. Details of the project have been guarded, though Blomkamp did say earlier in the year that prep work was already underway. “We play ourselves in the movie,” group member Ninja told the paper (Google translated), adding the budget was in the neighborhood of $50 million.
Of course, this only opens up more questions than answers, mostly: is someone really throwing that kind of money at a movie led by two rappers who have never acted before? We’ll find out soon enough, but we do know Blomkamp’s picture will shoot in Johannesburg and already has backing from Media Rights Capital, and a script co-written by his wife Terri Tatchel. But indeed if Die Antwoord are part of this, it seems to indicate a pretty interesting shift for Blomkamp, who thus far is best known sci-fi spectacle thanks to “District 9” and this summer’s “Elysium.”
Hopefully much more to come as lensing on “Chappie” is expected to begin in September and run through December. But to get a taste of what Die Antwoord are like when they’re acting, check out “Umshini Wam,” a short film they made with Harmony Korine, below. [via Bleeding Cool]